The exact death toll is unclear. Officially there are ‘at least 27’. News channel CNN 42 comes in based on statistics from local authorities. It is clear that the storm hit Florida hard. Entire cities have been wiped off the face of the earth, as in Fort Myers:

Ian made landfall in the southern state as a Category 4 hurricane, the second strongest hurricane ever.

Several drowned, including a 68-year-old woman who drowned and was dragged into the sea, and a 67-year-old man who drowned in his own home.

Massive power outage

Widespread power outages have also taken their toll: a couple, aged 80 and 94, died when their oxygen machine malfunctioned during the blackout. According to the website power cut. us 1.3 million homes in Florida are still without power.

This is also the case in South Carolina (83,000) and North Carolina (378,000) where the storm is now passing. It is unclear whether all of those electrical barriers can be attributed to ions.

According to initial reports, damage is less in South Carolina than in Florida. Ian caused flooding and damage to homes, especially in South Carolina’s coastal towns.

At Georgetown, not far from where Ian came ashore, a wooden ship was blown overboard. Trees were uprooted and power poles snapped in the state. As far as known, no casualties have been reported here.